How Entrepreneurs Press the Pause Button to Bring Out Their Best and Achieve Big Things in Business (and Life)

I found this text from my client early Wednesday morning…

Mary, sorry to be texting so late… could you possibly meet with Joe and I tomorrow? Doesn’t matter what time, just let me know if you can or not.

Here’s our conversation…

6:41am. Wednesday I text:

Good Morning…Yes, of course… how about 3 or 4pm?

7:31am. Wednesday, she responds:

Mary, for the first time in a very long time Joe and I solved our own disagreement. It was a little rocky at first but we actually handled it very well. I texted you during the middle and reminded myself of the tools you taught… specifically how to speak from a level-headed place… and it worked.

It had been nearly 6 months since we last spoke. How gratifying it feels to know what we did together helps. She was able to pause in the middle of the disagreement and shift her mindset.

And it occurs to me…

How pressing the pause button is so massively valuable… for results that work.

In this article…

I’ll look at 6 ways entrepreneurs use “the pause’ as a strategy in business to bring out their best to achieve big things. Whether the pause is a few seconds or longer, it’s can be a nugget of wisdom to notice and utilize.

This is how you do it…

1—PAUSE before responding to an offer.

A well-known strategy in negotiating is the use of silence. For many people, silence is uncomfortable, so pausing for just a little while after hearing an offer may be interpreted as reluctance, so the party making the offer might be willing to lower the price or add some extra value to the offer.

Think about your experiences. Have you lowered your price because of a person’s pause? Have you been able to get a better price for something you wanted because you paused?

2—PAUSE to plan your schedule for productive days ahead!

There is no doubt that planning to accomplish tasks leading to goal attainment is smart. I admit I like to just go with the flow of energy without too much structure and that’s okay, but truthfully it really isn’t as productive as a list of actions to accomplish by a certain time/date.

=>Press pause and take a day for annual planning. Look at your business strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT); What income do you want to achieve? What are quarterly goals?

=>Press pause again for an hour each month to look at your annual plan, quarterly goals and check out the metrics you’re keeping to track progress. Make adjustments as needed.

=>Press pause one hour a week to plan for the week ahead with specific actions to achieve quarterly goals and overall intentions.

=>Press pause for a daily review of your quarterly goals and what the actions of the day include.

3—PAUSE to recognize success, yours and others.

As a young manager years ago I learned that accomplishing a major project meant you were ready to be given another project. No pause, no breaks, no recognition. Full steam ahead to the next. Get going.

It’s true, success for anyone is short-lived, especially the entrepreneur. There’s always something else needing attention sooner rather than later so that success continues.

It’s also true when we celebrate, endorphins are released in our body and the feeling is incredible. We’re reinforcing the feeling of success which comes in handy when faced with future challenges… which of course is a natural aspect of growth.

So, celebrate your success and the success of others… an endorphin party! And who doesn’t like to be around someone who is happy? Recognize success by…

=>Inviting a friend or group of friends to lunch.

=>Enjoying a lovely walk in the park.

=>Recording it in your journal you keep each evening. Smile.

4—PAUSE your inbox and take a needed break from technology.

Take a break from new, incoming email for a day or more and eliminate a distraction which deters your focus or is just overwhelming due to the volume.

See if it boosts your productivity like so many entrepreneurs report.

For some, it’s just refreshing to be free from the notifications over a weekend to enjoy friends and family.

5—PAUSE and tune in to the conversation you are about to have with another potential client (or a personal relationship).

Think ahead about the following…

=>What do I want to feel during this conversation? (happy, energized, positive, relaxed, curious)

=>What do I want to bring forth in this conversation? (possibilities, value to them)

=>What do I have to release personally to have a genuine, relaxed conversation with this person? (perhaps the need to have the client say “yes”, coming across perfectly, other anxieties)

=>What’s the best possible outcome? And be BIG and OUTRAGEOUS! (signing up for 12 months, pre-paid)

6—PAUSE and let your reasonable mind surface.

Have you noticed when you’re in a disagreement, emotionally laden (like my client was) the few seconds of clarity that appears in your mind? Only seconds long, it often shows up as a mature, alternative way to respond, less defensive and provocative… more level-headed as my client described.

Sometimes it’s something you recognize will help calm and elevate the interaction away from two egos determined to win and move towards understanding the concerns or needs of the other.

Ask yourself, who’s holding the mike? Your adult, critic or child? Take the time to let the mature adult hold the mike.

And what can happen when the other feels heard and validated for their point of view?

Answer: A willingness to listen and validate your point of view.

That’s a win-win.

The takeaway is…

An important strategy for bringing out our best is pushing the pause button to negotiate, plan future business goals, tune into important conversations, celebrate success, enhance focus and communicate with emotional maturity.

Make sure you have your pause button nearby today… and use it!

Please share… What’s your favorite way to pause and bring out your best?

Are you struggling to bring out your best at work? Schedule a complimentary 30 minute session with me and we’ll strategize together so you’ll be able to say, “I’ve got this!”

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Mary Franz LCSW, CEC, PCC

I help you deal with the stress and overwhelm from work and home so you can stay focused, use your strengths and make big things happen.
Deep down, you'll feel confident that, "You've got this!"Meet Mary.